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Women's Golf Leads Oregon State Invitational After Opening Round

CORVALLIS, Ore. - The California women's golf team is determined to prove that its 22nd-place finish in the season opener at the NCAA Fall Preview two weeks ago was not indicative of the team's talent.

After the first round of the Oregon State Invitational at Trysting Tree Golf Course Monday, the Bears' mission is right on target. Cal, which is the 2000 defending OSU champion, leads the 19-team field after firing a school record team score of 286. The Bears' previous team record for 18 holes was a 288, carded at last year's Pac-10 Championships.

'We got off to a bad start in our first tournament,' said Cal coach Nancy McDaniel. 'The team wanted to prove what they are capable of. Any time you've won a tournament before that also gives you confidence. Anne Walker is in her fourth year playing this course. It was good to have her out there for yesterday's practice round.

'Our goal was to be even par or better on the par 5s. We ended up five or six under on the par 5s. We thought that would be key to a strong performance.'

Junior Ria Quiazon led the way for Cal with a four-under-par 68, a new school individual record for 18 holes. Quiazon is in second place, one stroke behind Stanford's Kim Kouwabunpat (67).

The Bears other three counting scores came from sophomore Sarah Huarte (T4th, 71), senior Anne Walker (T12th, 73) and junior Vikki Laing (T16th, 74). Huarte held the previous Cal individual record for 18 holes of 69. Sophomore Anna Temple, a transfer from Wisconsin, also shot a respectable round of 75 in her first tournament at Cal to tie for 22nd.

Arizona is in second place with a 289, followed by Stanford (295), Brigham Young (296) and Oregon State (298).

Eighteen holes are on tap for Tuesday with the final round slated for Wednesday.